The All Aboard Newsletter

Hey everybody, welcome back!

First off, apologies for the brief hiatus the last few weeks—I've been doing a fair bit of traveling.

First I was in Japan for 15 days, then I went to NOLA for some good ole fashioned debauchery, and last week I was in Vegas at the Embrace Conference.

After nearly a month on the move, I’m finally back back in the chair and ready to get back to building cool shit.

That includes delivering weekly value through All Aboard, and today we’re diving into one of the most important, yet often ignored, metrics in outbound sales:

“Answer to Transfer/Quote Ratio!”

Let’s get into it.

The Outbound Sales Metric Everyone Ignores

Working on AI and these thumbnails 😂!

If the embedded link doesn’t work, you can access the video here: Click Me (LINK)

For the best experience and most information, I highly suggest you click the video!

The One Metric People Keep Ignoring (And Why It Matters)

If you can learn to measure and improve this one metric, you will see a massive boost in your outbound sales. It will increase your sales numbers, ramp up your profitability, and help you get more out of your leads than ever before.

So, what’s the metric?

It’s the “Answer to Quote” or “Answer to Transfer” rate (same thing depending on context).

A lot of people overlook this metric.

Instead, there is an intense amount of focus at the end of the call, aka “closing the sale.” And I get it. Thats the ultimate goal right? To get the sale?

But you cannot get the sale if you cannot get the quote. One must come before the other.

So why do few people measure the success rate on “closing the quote” or “closing the opporutnity?”

There are multiple reasons! Maybe its something people never thought of. Maybe they don’t know where to start. And even if they did, maybe they don’t know how to fix it.

But that doesn’t mean it should be ignored!

How to Track It

You might be thinking, “Great, I’m on board….but how the hell do I track this?”

Unfortunately, its not always easy. But, here are a few methods to get you started:

1. Manual Tracking: Have your team tally how many calls they pick up at the end of each day. Then manually calculate # of Transfers or Quotes divided by pickups to get your %

2. CRM Tracking: Use your CRM to track dispositions like “Wrong Number,” “Do Not Call,” or “Interested in a Quote.” It’s essential to use the proper tags to track the calls effectively. While these aren’t the results we want, they will indicate a contact that allows you to use them.

3. Phone System Analytics: Look at how long calls last. If a call lasts 60 seconds, to 5 minutes, it’s usually a conversation, but not a transfer/quote.

You might have to track this manually, but this is how you get a clearer picture of how well your team is doing in that critical first part of the call.

We use all three of these methods and then compare them to ensure they’re in line.

Let’s Talk Numbers

Not convinced yet? Lets put some real math behind this to show you the impact…

Lets first look at an example where an agency is achieving a 30% “Answer to Quote” ratio. Here is what that might might look like with a telemarketer:

• Calls per day: 300

• Answer rate: 9% = 27 answered calls

• Transfer rate: 30% = 8 transfers

• Bundle rate: 70% = ~14 Quotes a day

• Close rate: 20% an 21 days = 58 Items a month.

At $850 per item and a 25% commission (my numbers), you’re looking at about $12,289 in revenue.

But, if you improve that transfer rate to 70%…

• Calls per day: 300

• Answer rate: 9% = 27 answered calls

• Transfer rate: 70% = 19 transfers

• Quote rate: 70% = 13 quotes per day

• Close rate: 20% = 2.6 items closed per day

This bumps your sales up to 135 items sold per month, which translates into $28,676 in revenue.

That’s a difference of over $16,000 just by improving your answer-to-transfer rate. Staggering right?

Have I convinced you to look at this?

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Care

So why are people ignoring this? Sometimes they don’t know how to track it. Sometimes they don’t know how to measure it. Sometimes they just don’t think it’s that important.

But trust me, this metric is a game-changer. And if you’re stuck at a low quote rate—say 10-12%—take a look at how your team handles the early part of the call. Improve that, and the results will follow.

For reference, we have a lot of SDRs (Telemarketers) at Next Call Club. Our minimum expectation is a 50% transfer rate, and our goal is 70%.

Its worth investing in, and improving this number.

If you need help with any of this, whether it’s sales training, telemarketing, or more effective lead strategies, we can help. Just shoot me an email, and we’ll chat.

Until next time, thanks for reading, and keep crushing it out there!

Three ways I can help you:

1.) If you need leads, calls, or data analytics - We’d love the opportunity to show how Next Call Club can help you grow faster and more profitably than before. We’re ready for the TCPA changes and can help you be ready too!

2.) Looking to scale in 2025? Maybe you’re shifting your strategic direction. Want a person you can work through plans with? Lets talk about 1:1 Consulting for you and your agency!

3.) Want to sponsor this newsletter? Lets talk about whether you’re a fit to reach 1,000+ agency owners every week!

As always - Thank you for the support! I’m looking forward to bringing you insights, ideas, and actionable strategies multiple times per month! If you enjoyed this newsletter or it gave you value, please consider sharing it with a friend!